There is more on the line than just a victory Wednesday night as two separate individual battles highlight NIU’s 7 p.m. soccer match with Northwestern at Huskie Stadium.

Entering their final match of 1987, the Huskies have two players fighting to capture the team scoring title. Freshman Willy Roy Jr. leads the squad with 19 points, with junior John O’Keefe in second at 15 points.

In the other duel, NIU freshman goalkeeper Tim Spiegel will be opposed in goal by the Wildcats’ George Kokodynski. Less than a year ago, Spiegel was playing backup to Kokodynski at Palatine Fremd High School. The Huskie netminder is eager to go head-to-head with his former teammate.

“It’s something we used to talk about our senior year,” Spiegel said. “Our coach from Fremd seemed to think he was the better goalie. I just had to accept it for two years.”

Spiegel will start his third consecutive game in goal for NIU. He allowed one goal against Wisconsin-Green Bay and recorded a shutout in NIU’s romp over Bradley.

Meanwhile, Kokodynski has given up just 15 goals in 14 games this season. But Wildcat coach Michael Kunert said he has not been surprised.

“We expected him to play well,” Kunert said of Kokodynskki, an All-State selection at Fremd. “As a freshman he’s liable to make mistakes, but overall he’s played well.”

What has surprised the NU coach is the Wildcats’ 9-6-2 record.

“We didn’t anticipate to do this well,” Kunert said. “We would have been happy with a .500 record.”

Injuries to upperclassmen early in the year might have kept the Wildcats record from being even better.

“At one time we had five freshmen starting on the defensive line,” Kunert said. “But we had no choice.”

For the Huskies the only injuries are to freshman Rob Lisek and coach Willy Roy, who is suffering from an ankle infection. But the usually active Roy does not think it will keep him from patrolling the field.

“I’ll get an electric wheelchair and do about 30 mph up and down the sideline,” Roy said. “I’d like to see the referees catch me then.”

Lisek has a sprained knee which he suffered in a practice mishap with sophomore Mike Farnham last Tuesday. He missed the Huskies’ game against Bradley and will not play Wednesday against NU.